Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > PB17 Sizzle Noise and Serial Numbers

PB17 Sizzle Noise and Serial Numbers (Page 2)
Thread Tools
Senior User
Join Date: May 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 11:55 AM
 
Originally posted by iWrite:
Unfortunately, sound and music professionals probably don't feel the same as you do.
If you're doing sound work professionally, then the sizzle should be a non-issue, because you're using good mics and good monitor equipment, not the stuff built into the PowerBook. It doesn't affect line-in or line-out, nor USB audio, so far as I can determine.
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 04:09 PM
 
Originally posted by ngrundy:
the Sizzle that you refer to happens in every machine to some extent, mac and pc alike.

It's the insane ammounts of RF crap that all the components put out interacting with each other. Generally the sizzle will be worse when your scrolling (video card is updating) or there is a lot of black on the screen. My last 3 PC systems all exibited this to some extent but never really worried me and the sould would offload via the sound chip at times. My ti has it but i need to be in a dead slient room with no fans or just the low speed on in the back on with my head wthin about 10cm of the keyboard to hear it.

It's just a side effect of technology, thought there may be some legitimate cases in which it's something else but in those cases i doubt your machine would work.
RF Crap? Thanks for the explaination .

By the way, I had it on my 17 and on my Ti800, I am picking up an Ti867 later this week. Will let you guys know how it turned out.
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 04:14 PM
 
Originally posted by b3t4:


if you connect your 17" to some nice loudspeakers and put it in sleep mode i can hear another sizzle throught the loudspeakers. not really nice.

Yup, I got this on my Creatures too.
     
Senior User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 04:34 PM
 
V7315 and sizzle, but only audible in a quiet room. Want to make the sizzle not so irritating? Borrow a TiSD 15". After dealing with the fans, a little sizzle is no big deal.
     
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 07:02 PM
 
I feel very fortunate. According to this thread, it looks as if the models with the starting SNs of V7315 have the least problems. Along with schuey100, zaimbat and Tomster, I have a a V7315... and I have never heard an audio pop nor a sizzle since I used a beta version of Safari months and months ago, and even then, it was barely noticeable and it was only for a split second. I'm on this 17" continuously, use processor intensive apps and have exceptional hearing .
     
Forum Regular
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pasadena, Cally
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 08:22 PM
 
V7325

late batch --- and I definitely have sizzling sounds

only can be heard in quiet environments --- but nonetheless, its there
"Government is not the solution, its the problem" --- Ronald Reagan
     
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Apr 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 09:34 PM
 
I am ultra-sensitive to noise and can hear very high frequencies.

I can personally attest that I first heard this high-pitched
whine on a palm pilot. It would only happen while scrolling.
So I returned it and the problem was still there on the
replacement unit.

I also heard this on an IBM laptop (380D) that I used to have
many years ago. As another poster noted, the problem went
away when either the laptop was plugged or unplugged (don't remember
which). It doremember that it happened only while moving
windows around and/or scrolling.

I currently don't have a powerbook but I can almost certainly
say that this "sizzle" is due to the power circuit (since it
turns out, that was the cause on both the palm pilot and the
laptop). Note, even though the palm pilot ran on batteries,
it still produced this whine. (so I don't think the actual
voltage level in the circuit is to blame, just the design)

--j
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southern, NJ (near Philly YO!)
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2003, 10:56 PM
 
Originally posted by javadesigner:
I am ultra-sensitive to noise and can hear very high frequencies.

I can personally attest that I first heard this high-pitched
whine on a palm pilot. It would only happen while scrolling.
So I returned it and the problem was still there on the
replacement unit.

I also heard this on an IBM laptop (380D) that I used to have
many years ago. As another poster noted, the problem went
away when either the laptop was plugged or unplugged (don't remember
which). It doremember that it happened only while moving
windows around and/or scrolling.

I currently don't have a powerbook but I can almost certainly
say that this "sizzle" is due to the power circuit (since it
turns out, that was the cause on both the palm pilot and the
laptop). Note, even though the palm pilot ran on batteries,
it still produced this whine. (so I don't think the actual
voltage level in the circuit is to blame, just the design)

--j


When I turn my processor down to 'reduced' performance...sound is gone...hmmmm
Al PowerBook 17" ~ Leopard ~ iPhone-3G-8Gb
     
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Dallas, TX USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 6, 2003, 10:17 AM
 
Same for me: V7315 and sizzle

Sounds like everyone has this? When I cut the processor to save power it goes away. On the Apple board someone thought it could be the L2 processor Cache?

What should we do?

The reason it's annoying - is not the volume (you need to be 6-12 inches away to hear) it's the kind of noise. It's not steady like the fan it's strange bleeps and sizzles, with a quite room very noticeable!
Desktop :: G4 DP500
Laptop :: G4 1Ghz 17
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 9, 2003, 11:41 PM
 
     
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ewa Beach, HI
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 01:24 AM
 
V7325 with sizzle.
Sizzles more when I move the Apple mouse I have plugged into the USB port.
This space intentionally left blank...
     
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Paris, France
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 02:56 AM
 
V7318
Got sizzle, but it's really not annoying

What's f*cking annoying is the whining, revving sound of the fan. Drives me bats. Hate it.
     
Photo Architect
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bamberg, Germany
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 12:28 PM
 
Am I the only person with a PB17 whose sizzle stopped after a few weeks?

It was there in the beginning and very very annoying-but it`s gone now.
     
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cupertino, CA, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 01:04 PM
 
Serial number V7337. Just arrived today and still in the box. Will check for the sizzle (or lack thereof) later.

Todd
     
Photo Architect
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bamberg, Germany
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 01:11 PM
 
Sorry-forgot the serial numbar for my magic "and now it`s gone PB": V7321
     
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Hyrule
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 07:02 PM
 
I will start by explaining this.

The powerbooks use heatpipes in them.. these heatpipes are little copper pipes with water sealed inside them like a vacuum.

As said in another thread, thanks to the water being in a vacuum, it boils faster.

Odd, yes. I have no sure idea how this works but basically your sizzling noise can very well be coming from the heatpipe system, or of course, the way the processor is mounted.

I dunno but it isn't THAT bad. I've had laptops before that would do this, and even without the hard drive running you could hear funky sounds every now and then.

But it definately disturbs me.
Aloha
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 10, 2003, 07:32 PM
 
has anyone tried the link that I posted above?
     
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Dallas, TX USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 11, 2003, 12:27 AM
 
Originally posted by ae86_16v:
Here you go. . .

http://www.powerpage.org/cgi-bin/Web...y?newsID=11368
Ha ha - I could only hope:

"You won't believe it, but I found a way to get rid off the hiss problem of my 17-inch PowerBook. After running Roxio's Spin Doctor (a component of Toast Titanium) it went away. Yes, as easy as that."

Works on Vinyl and Aluminum!
Desktop :: G4 DP500
Laptop :: G4 1Ghz 17
     
Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Switzerland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 11, 2003, 04:13 AM
 
Originally posted by ae86_16v:
Here you go. . .

http://www.powerpage.org/cgi-bin/Web...y?newsID=11368
What? That's very interesting. Did it work for you?

I tried it with Spin Doctor from Toast 5.2.1. Is the version from Toast 6.0 requiered?
SwitCHerland, Europe
17" PowerBook 1GHz | WaterField SleeveCase | LaCie d2 250GB | AirPort Extreme BS, AirPort Express | iPod photo 60GB
     
Senior User
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 11, 2003, 08:04 PM
 
hmmm... V73214. No sizzle that I can hear. But, then again, Uncle Sam blew up a bunch of **** next to my ears over the years, so I may not have a clue.
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 11, 2003, 08:36 PM
 
Originally posted by tritonus:
What? That's very interesting. Did it work for you?

I tried it with Spin Doctor from Toast 5.2.1. Is the version from Toast 6.0 requiered?
Well, I am sold my 17" so I don't know. That's why I was wondering if anyone tried it.
     
 
Thread Tools